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(More customer reviews)I didn't buy the Storm 2 from Amazon, so I don't know if my review of it will stick here or not. I'm a recent Verizon switcher (from the 8310 AT&T to the Verizon Tour) a few months ago.
Truly there are two kinds of customers. There are those looking for their first smart phone, and those that have owned quite a few smart phones while looking for some kind of smart phone nirvana. I fall into the latter. I've owned, and in this order, a Blackberry PDA fortified with Yahoo. A Treo 650. A Blackberry 8800. A Blackberry 8310 Curve. An iPhone (1st gen EDGE). An iPhone 3G (second generation). A WinMo 6.1 (MotoQ). Back to my old AT&T 8310 Curve. Then switched to Verizon for the Tour. And now I have the Storm 2.
So why so many phones? Recently my employer bought his first smart phone. A WinMo 6.1 device from Samsung. He would watch me go from smart phone to smart phone before my contracts expire, spending full price for the switch. Often $579 for the change. Finally he asked me, "Why all the switching?" I tried to explain this to him, and I will try to explain it here. But I think you know the answer if you've owned a smart phone already. You see my employer didn't own one when he asked me this question. Now that he does he's been trying the iPhone and considering a switch to that. Now he saw the Moto Droid with Android 2.0, and now he is considering that. I just bought the Storm 2 and now he is considering that. What you can take away from this is the following. Now that he owns a smart phone, he is already considering several other smart phones, and I think now he understands why people switch smart phones.
The answer is this. Once you own a smart phone, you truly will find the value of such a device. I am an office worker. I guess Bill Gates would classify me as a knowledge worker. Much of office life is held together via communication with clients, manufactures, my tasks, calendar, and even memos. Email is perhaps even more important to me that the phone itself. I have to save every single email I send and receive because I make agreements via email. I ask partners to manufacture things via email.
I work on projects that involve multiple corporations and consume many months. I have a phone number here in San Francisco, New York and Hong Kong. I work with partners through the entire day and evening. It is only because of smart phones that I can walk around and not sit in front of a computer 24 hours a day 6 days a week. My smart phone is my freedom, though I am sure it sounds like it is my prison it's not that at all. Not having a smart phone would be my prison.
I'm a business customer. I use Exchange and Blackberry Enterprise Services. That gives me instant over the air sync between Outlook / Exchange and my Blackberry. If I so much as add a contact to my Outlook client, it just pops into my Blackberry instantly. I don't have to sync it because Blackberry Enterprise Services just updates my Blackberry instantly and immediately.
When I am talking to a new partner or client, I add them as a contact into Outlook. And just like that, I know I have them in my Blackberry if I need to call them. That's a powerful thing to know I can count on them being in my phone. As you might have realized by now, watching videos and listening to music is not my primary use of the Blackberry. My primary use is the email, calendar, tasks, notes, contacts and the phone itself. All the tools that make the Blackberry perhaps the best business-class phone on the planet. I have Documents2Go 2.0 and a few other tools as well. All geared to help me with attachments in email or some other feature so I can truly remain as mobile as possible.
So you see the value of the phone. Now it's all about the hardware. The phone you choose affects the value. If you had to type a long email on your smart phone, would you be able to do it and be professional about it? What I mean by that is this. Would you use proper punctuation, spelling, words etc? With business clients and partners I can't send emails that look like this, "How R U". Kids can get away with that between themselves However, in the business world that's simply unacceptable. The smart phone you choose will really help you craft those emails with minimal effort. Blackberry phones have an auto text feature. You can set it to do things like substitute "blaex" to "Kind regards, Alex Alexzander". I have a much longer signature if I type "calex". That will change to the full signature which is my name, my company address, phone, fax, cell, mailing address, etc. Virtually all my contacts will capitalize themselves. If I type "lisa" or "armando" I get "Lisa" and "Armando". I set these changes in auto text. If I type "teh" a common misspelling of "the" the phone changes it to "the" for me. I have all kinds of auto text substitutions set up in my Blackberry designed to allow me to type very fast and still keep it professional.
So now that I have the best business phone and I have setup auto text to help me keep my emails professional as well as fast I have the issue of the keyboard itself. Why choose the Storm 2 with touch screen over the Tour which has physical keys?
As I wrote previously, I had a Curve which has physical keys. They keys on the Blackberry Curve do you touch one another. Each key is an island onto itself. And in my humble opinion, the Curve represents Blackberry's best tactile keyboard efforts. Other Blackberry devices such as the Bold, Tour, and the older 8800 series all have keys that touch each other. Your fingers and thumbs are larger than these keys. When you go to press them, you're going to feel perhaps 3 ~ 5 keys under your finger or thumb. Pressing the right key is something that you must learn. It doesn't take long to develop this skill, but if you've owned a smart phone you know that this is where the mistakes take place via typing. It doesn't happen a lot but it does happen somewhat often. At least once or twice in every short email, and more in longer emails. You'll press two keys, or press the wrong key. In order to keep the phone device small and yet still have a full qwerty keyboard, you'll have to deal with this issue. There is no way around it; Or is there?
It is the question, "Is there a better way?", that causes smart phone users to switch phones so often. Should you buy a smart phone with a portrait keyboard or a landscape keyboard, such as those in the Sidekick or the new MotoDroid.
If you buy a landscape keyboard, and you try to hold it and type on the device in a bus or something that is really bouncing around, you'll grow to dislike it, and perhaps even drop it. There is a right way and a wrong way to hold these devices. And little things, like being able to operate the device with one hand become a sought after feature. Blackberry devices were designed to be operated with one hand.
I bought the Storm 2 because of a YouTube video I saw. A guy was reviewing it and he had it in SureType mode. What is SureType? Remember that question all smart phone users ask? "Is there a better way?" That's what SureType is trying to answer. Imagine for a second that you only have 5 keys from left to right, and only 4 keys from top to bottom. They'd be huge keys. Q and W are the same key. E and R are the same key. T and Y are the same key. Now, before you tell yourself you want nothing to do with tapping a single key once or twice to get the key you want, I have to tell you that you don't have to do that. Let that sink in. How in the world can a shared key know which key you intended to type? And that's what SureType is all about.
Think of the word, "the". On the SureType keyboard, that would the the following, "TY" "GH" and "ER". If you hit those 3 keys in the right order, SureType knows you meant to type "The" or "the". You can shift the first press just like you would normally do and it knows to cap the first letter of whatever this world will be in the end. Pretty slick huh? You can type whole sentences with this technology and it knows what you mean. I have little or no editing to do with this method of typing. It's is so good it is shockingly simple. And because the keys are shared 2 at a time most of the time, they are huge and easy to strike.
Is there a better way to type? Yes. I have found a keyboard that is easier to use than just about anything out there. The keys are huge by smart phone standards. And because there are fewer of them, you type faster. It takes perhaps a day or two to get used to this concept. Your brain understands right away, but your muscle memory needs to learn this new tool. SureType is awesome. It's perhaps the only real advance in keyboard technology I have seen yet. No one else is doing this. Surely Research in Motion has patents like crazy for this technology.
The Blackberry Storm 2 uses three methods of typing input to cover everyone's preference. You can use SureType (shared keys), Portrait Full, or Landscape Full. If SureType is not for you, then you can switch it to full. The keys will be smaller, much like those on the iPhone, but you will have a 1:1 relationship just like any other smart phone.
The Storm 2 has 3G, 1xEVDO and WiFi. Essentially it is a world phone. Visual Voice Mail is one of the better business tools in voice mail I have seen in a long time. You have that here but it's a subscription. I think $1.99 or $2.99 a month with Verizon on your bill.
What about the phone? Like all Blackberry devices there is a phone button. This launches the phone keypad. These keys are huge as they are just 3 across and 4 down. Standard call pad. When you make a call, you see other features show up to help with what you might want to do during a call. You see 4 large options. Speaker, Mute, Flash, and add participant...Read more›
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BlackBerry Storm2 9550 Phone (Verizon Wireless)Stay connected to the people, places, and things that matter most with the BlackBerry Storm2 from Verizon Wireless, the second generation of RIM's innovative and award-winning touchscreen smartphone. Featuring the BlackBerry OS 5.0, the Storm2 is enhanced with an improved touchscreen platform, larger internal memory (now 2 GB), Wi-Fi networking capabilities (802.11b/g), and hundreds of hardware and software enhancements. And whether traveling to Europe or Asia, the Storm2 provides globetrotters the freedom of reliable global connectivity with the reliable Verizon Wireless high-speed 3G CDMA network here in the United States, and compatibility with GSM and 3G UMTS networks abroad.
The Storm2 significantly improves the touchscreen interactivity with new SurePress technology, which is based on an electronic system that provides the user with tactile feedback when the touchscreen is pressed. The new system responds equally to gentle pressure applied anywhere on the surface of the screen and makes clicking the display practically effortless. It also offers multi-touch support, allowing you to type a letter with one thumb even while their other thumb may still be touching or resting on another letter, thus enabling faster typing and multi-key actions such as Shift or Alt-key combinations.
This mobile multimedia powerhouse is compatible with the V Cast Music with Rhapsody service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via the fast Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO data network, and the V CAST Video on Demand service that enables you to watch full-length TV shows plus news, sports, weather, and live entertainment video clips.
You'll stay on course thanks to the VZ Navigator GPS turn-by-turn direction service, and be able to find your way in foreign destinations using the VZ Navigator Global service. And with the optional Visual Voice Mail service, you'll be able to quickly and easily scroll through your messages and pick the ones you want to listen to. See more details on optional Verizon Wireless services below.
The elegantly designed Storm2 offers a smooth design and premium finish with sloped edges, chrome accents, glass lens and stainless steel backplate. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, included 16 GB microSD memory card (with 16 GB maximum expansion), support for up to 10 personal and corporate email accounts, easy access to favorite social networking and instant messaging services, support for BlackBerry App World, and up to 5.5 hours of talk time.
Key Features
Fast 3G connectivity thanks to the reliable Verizon Wireless EV–DO, Rev A network
Global roaming capabilities with data access in more than 185 destinations
3.25-inch, high-resolution capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch support and integrated functions including Send, End, Menu, Escape (480 x 360 pixels, 184ppi)
New SurePress technology makes clicking the display practically effortless and provides greater consistency with tactile response across the whole screen. Use natural gestures such as pointing and clicking to interact with the features and applications.
BlackBerry OS 5.0 includes typing accuracy and selection improvements, as well as usability and visual enhancements such as inertial scrolling, spin boxes that make it easier to set dates and times, gradient shading on buttons, and more use of animation.
Support for BlackBerry App World featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include travel, productivity, entertainment, games, social networking and sharing, news and weather, and more.
BlackBerry Internet Service offers easy access to up to 10 supported personal and work email accounts and one BlackBerry email account.
Compatible with BlackBerry Enterprise Server for advanced security and IT administration features within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, and Novell GroupWise environments. Customers running BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 will gain the ability to set follow-up flags, manage email folders, access remote files (Windows Shares), forward appointments, view calendar attachments, and more.
View attachments including JPEG, Adobe PDF, and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Social networking apps include Facebook for BlackBerry, Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry, and MySpace for BlackBerry
3.2 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom, autofocus, Image Stabilization (IS), and flash and video recording capabilities
Digital audio and video playback
BlackBerry Media Sync is built right into your BlackBerry Desktop Software and lets you sync your desktop iTunes or Windows Media Player music files with your BlackBerry smartphone. If you're a Mac user, just choose the "media" option and you're ready to sync your iTunes music collection from your BlackBerry smartphone onto your Mac.
Integrated GPS for use with the BlackBerry Maps applications as well as other location-based applications and photo geotagging.
VZ Navigator and VZ Navigator Global capable for voice-guided turn-by-turn directions and location services both in the United States and Western Europe.
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go
Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity with stereo music streaming (A2DP) capabilities as well as hands-free headsets and car kits and tethering with your PC (with optional tethering plan). (Learn more)
Full messaging capabilities including SMS text, MMS picture, and IM instant messaging (via popular services)
2 GB of onboard media storage
Included 16 GB microSD card and compatibility with optional microSD cards up to 16 GB in size
Improved BlackBerry Browser with faster JavaScript and CSS processing as well as support for Gears and BlackBerry Widgets.
Voice dialing capabilities
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
Speakerphone for hands-free conference calling
Vital Statistics The BlackBerry Storm2 weighs 5.5 ounces and measures 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.53 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.5 hours of talk time, and up to 269 hours (11.2 days) of standby time while on the Verizon Wireless CDMA/EVDO Rev. A network (800/1900 MHz). When accessing GSM networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) while abroad, the Storm2 offers up to 5 hours of talk time and 305 hours (12.7 days) of standby time, and up to 6 hours of talk time and 281 hours (11.7 days) of standby time when running on a 3G UMTS network (2100 MHz).
What's in the Box BlackBerry Storm2 handset, 16 GB microSD memory card, rechargeable battery, microUSB international charger with international clips, USB cable, wired 3.5mm stereo headset, pre-installed SIM card, quick reference guide, documentation kit, global support kit
Verizon Wireless Services
Global Roaming Capabilities: With this mobile phone, you can connect to wireless networks from Europe to South America to Asia thanks to its quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS connectivity as well as high-speed 3G HSPA compatibility (2100 MHz networks). It comes pre-installed with a SIM card, so customers who plan to travel abroad can activate global service at the time of purchase or by calling Verizon Wireless prior to leaving the U.S. For those who travel abroad frequently, the Verizon Wireless Global Value Plan offers discounted roaming capabilities with data access in more than 185 destinations.
VZ Navigator with Global Capability: With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access the Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps.
Additionally, this phone is compatible with the VZ Navigator Global service, which enables you to find locations and access turn-by-turn directions in North America and Western Europe, including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (with more being added). Helping to alleviate stress or confusion caused by reading road signs or directions in an unfamiliar language, VZ Navigator Global allows you to choose either English or Spanish as the default language, and miles or kilometers to mark distances. You'll also be able to find restaurants, gas stations, banks/ATMs and other popular spots in these countries using Local Search.
V CAST Music with Rhapsody: Access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and MTV Networks, which delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. For a monthly fee (billed on your Verizon Wireless bill), you can load and reload your subscription songs from your PC to your V CAST Music with Rhapsody phone as often as you want, and take your music on the go.
On PCs running the Windows XP or higher operating system, you can also browse, preview, and purchase music using the V CAST Music with Rhapsody software, which is available as a free download from the V CAST Music with Rhapsody download website. Additional subscription charges applicable.
V CAST Video on Demand: This optional service enables you to watch full-length TV shows plus news, sports, weather, and live entertainment video clips. It features more than 100 full-length programs from leading broadcast and cable networks, ranging from highly-rated drama and comedy series to reality programs and children's programming. V CAST Video on Demand also delivers live sporting events, including NHL hockey games and an upcoming slate of college football games
The service offers unlimited viewing of Basic Videos and the ESPN MVP channel. You can choose from 14 categories, including Entertainment, Kids, Music, Sports, Comedy, News, Pop Culture, Information, Women, Latino, Home & Leisure, Multicultural, Cutting Edge, and Hollywood. Additional subscription charges applicable.
Visual Voice Mail: This innovative service enables you to delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Visual Voice Mail is the ideal tool for the busy mobile professional who may need to prioritize which messages he or she listens to first. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, the ability to save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text, or even voice mail.
Mobile Broadband Connect: Use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The Mobile Broadband Connect tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with Mobile Broadband Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.
Learn More
Wireless Freedom with Bluetooth This phone provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.1+EDR), and includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server (additional charges applicable and subscription to Mobile Broadband Connect service required).
Technical Specifications
Memory: 2 GB internal storage, 256 MB flash memory
Memory expansion: microSD/SDHC cards (up to 16 GB); one 16 GB microSD card is included
Digital audio compatibility: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
Digital video compatibility: MPEG4, WMV, H.263, H.264
USB 2.0 connectivity (microUSB)
3.5mm headset/headphone jack
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3
Password protection and screen lock
Ring Tones: Polyphonic (MIDI/MP3) and vibrate mode
Multi-lingual support: English, French and Spanish
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